The Fractured but Whole: Freedom Pals Unite!
Chapter 2: Starting today, you're a Freedom Pal
I feel the cool mountain air caress my cheek and gently blow my long, brown hair back as Stan and I speed walk along the icy sidewalk. I carefully watch my step as I step over icy puddles and small snow piles, following Stan … err, Toolshed, to the Freedom Pal's base. Toolshed says that their base is at Token's house, so we'll have to cut across the playground to get there, since the other road is blocked for a concert to perform tonight. I suddenly hear an annoyed and yet scared cry ahead of us.
"Who would do such a thing?! It's just so MEAN!"
(Mr. Marsh?) Toolshed and I turn our speed walk into a jog as we head towards Randy. I see him heavily applying wax to the hood of an orange SUV.
"Dad," Toolshed calls, "What's wrong?" Randy slightly jumps at the sound of Toolshed's voice before dropping his rag and turning towards us.
"Oh Stan, it's you," Randy sighs, "Wait, what are you doing with my tools?"
"I'm not Stan right now dad, I'm Toolshed," he protests, "I need these to help me and the Freedom Pals fight crime."
"Oh, you're playing superheroes again. Well, how about you and your little sidekick go on a mission for me" Randy says.
(A mission?)
"Sure dad, how can we help," Stan replies.
"Someone has been keying your mother's car at night," Randy growls, "It's happening EVERY night. I thought it was just one of you damn kids but, well … Here, come here, take a look at this." Randy turns on his heels and walks towards his garage and lifts up the garage door. Toolshed looks at me with a mixture of shock and concern. I guess he didn't know about this. We walk into the Marsh's garage and up to Randy's workbench.
"Whoever is scratching the car is also leaving notes," Randy explains, "I'm just scared it's a …jilted lover or something."
"What have they been writing dad," Toolshed questions.
"ʻYou won't forget me THAT easy.' 'I thought we had something.' 'I'll tell the world about you, bitch,'" Randy lists.
(Dude, this is serious!)
"Listen, I'm sick of having to buff that shit out," Randy snarls, "Can you boys just catch the guy who's doing this to your mother's car? The guy only comes out at night. If you succeed, I'll follow you guys on Coonstagram. I'm sure your team would want me as a follower- I'm a pretty big deal in this town." Randy then picks up a polisher buffer and continues his work on the SUV.
(Wait. What the fuck is Coonstagram?)
"Coonstagram is a social network created by Doctor Timothy," Toolshed explains, "He made it when we were all part of Coon and Friends."
(Doctor Timothy? … Oh, you must mean Timmy. I didn't know he was so good with networking.)
"Well, don't worry about the car creep dad," Toolshed beams, "Just leave it to Freedom Pals!" We then jog out of the garage and continue our way across the sidewalk. I can't help but feel myself softly groan after leaving the Marsh's garage. I thought I would be used to handling Randy's shit, especially after everything he had me do during the Stick of Truth. I had to face Nazi zombies, government agents, and had to disarm a snuke up Mr. Slave's ass, but now he's asking me and his own son to track down some car-keying whack-job who's most likely insane in the membrane! I guess Toolshed noticed my annoyance.
"Yeah, my dad can drive me up a wall too," Toolshed sighs, "But, it's kind of thanks to him that I have my mental control over all power tools … according to my backstory. … You want to hear it? We have a few more minutes before we reach the base."
I see Toolshed give me a hopeful grin and I see his eyes sparkle with excitement. I guess backstories are a big deal in the superhero world.
(… I can't say no to that face.) I give him a sweet grin and a quick nod to show him that I'm all ears. I can't help but feel warmth wash over my heart to see Toolshed light up like a Christmas tree as he begins his origin story.
"Sweet! Well, when I was just a child my father was in the garage, working on a project," Toolshed laments, "There was a huge storm and lightning blew my father of his workbench. I ran to help him, but at that moment another blast somehow fused his power tools onto my body. I became a superhero, while my father was left mentally impaired. Perhaps Toolshed wants to help his father because he feels he could have saved him all those years ago"
(No offense dude, but I think your dad has always been mentally impaired. All of the adults in this quiet mountain town are mentally impaired! It's not your fault so don't blame yourself.) I place a comforting hand on Toolshed's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He gently squeezes my hand and offers me a grateful smile as a way to say thank you. I look away from Toolshed to see how much farther we would need to walk, only to find that we are at the gates of Dark Meadows. I jump back in shock to see we already arrived.
(Holy shit! I was so caught up in the drama of his back story that I didn't notice we already got here! That must've been some speed walk!) I hear Toolshed softly chuckle as he walks towards the entrance gate. He quickly looks around before motioning me over.
"Looks like the security guard is off duty," Toolshed declares, "That's great for us, since he always tries to keep the riff raff out. He's been letting me in since he knows me as one of Tupperware's friends, but he would not be so welcoming to you after you disgraced him last time."
(Token's superhero persona is called Tupperware? I wonder what kind of powers Tupperware offers.) Toolshed unhitches the latch on the metal gate, pushes the door open, and re-latches the lock when I step through into the Black's front yard. We walk along the driveway and cross over to the front door. I watch Toolshed knock three times on the dark brown door and within a few seconds, Mrs. Black answers.
"Oh, hello Stan," Mrs. Black beams, "Back from patrol I see. The boys are downstairs playing."
"Thank you, Mrs. Black," Toolshed replies, "I hope you don't mind but I invited the new kid to join us." I give Mrs. Black a friendly smile and casually wave my hand.
"It's no problem Stan," Mrs. Black says, "You two have fun." She turns on her heels and walks into the kitchen. We wipe our feet on the welcome mat and enter the house.
(Man, this house is awesome! I think this is the first time I've been inside Token's house.) I shake off my amazement and follow Toolshed to the basement door. I gaze up at the Freedom Pals logo, an eagle, on the door. I watch Toolshed tap some sort of code into an electronic padlock and then grasp the door handle.
"Let me go in first dude," Toolshed gently demands, "I'll butter them up for you." Toolshed opens the basement door and begins to ascend down the stairs. I wait for Toolshed to be about 5 steps ahead of me before I start to step down myself. I stop after 4 steps, lean against the handrail, and wait for Toolshed to send me in. I hear a deep, slightly raspy voice greet Toolshed. I guess that must be Mysterion from Toolshed's communicator.
"There you are Toolshed," I hear Mysterion greet, "Did you find any leads?"
"Sorry guys, I didn't find any news about the crime syndicate," Toolshed sighs, "I did receive a mission from my dad. Someone's been keying my mom's car at night and been leaving threatening notes."
"Hey, maybe the guy who's keying the car is part of a gang or something," I hear a high pitch voice imply.
(Wait. Isn't that Tweek's voice? His voice sure has gotten more confident ever since he and Craig got together.)
"I appreciate the optimism Wonder Tweek," I hear Mysterion reply, "but I don't think keying a car can level up to the crimes of smuggling drugs and robberies."
"At least we have something one of us can do tonight," I hear a voice with an echoed sound declare, "But if we don't find a lead or more missions soon, by my calculations, Coon and Friends will get ahead of us for good."
(That must be Token. It wouldn't surprise me that Cartman would take the easy route to get ahead.)
"Well, I think I found someone who can even the playing field," Toolshed beams, "Come on down dude." I shift of the railing and continue down the stairs. As I turn to descend the final three steps, I see three other members of Freedom Pals.
I can see that Token's superhero persona, Tupperware, lives up to his name. His body is completely armored with Tupperware parts, complete with a small utility belt and a pair of light gray surgical gloves.
As for Tweek, or should I say Wonder Tweek, I see that he sports a deep blue shirt with the red initials WT, navy-blue slacks, and brown gloves. I also notice a head band, the same color as his shirt, with his superhero name printed on it.
The final hero must be Mysterion, and I must say, he has quite the iconic superhero image. His costume consists of a light purple shirt with a bright green M, light purple pants, a dark purple cloak with a bright green question mark on a spring on the top, a pair of olive green gloves, a black belt and mask, and a pair of brown combat boots. Heck, he even has a pair of underwear on the outside of the pants. The only problem is that I can't tell which on my friends this guy is at first glance. He almost completely covers his face and his voice is disguised. I slightly squint to try to focus on any feature that can give me a clue on who he is. My eyes finally fall on his eyes. I defiantly know those firm, yet gentle eyes.
(Hold on. … Holy shit! It's Kenny! Man, I'm used to seeing him as loving and joyful, not like a mini Batman.) I shake off my shock and try to act casual. I offer a friendly smile and wave.
"I think Douchebag would be a great addition to our team, what do you guys think," Toolshed offers. The three of them exchange glances before turning back to me and Toolshed.
"Toolshed," Mysterion sighs, "are you sure this is a good idea? Don't get me wrong, Douchebag is a great fighter, and a great friend, but wasn't he just playing with Cartman and the others? There are photos of him with them on Coonstagram."
"They were playing Fighters of Zaron," Toolshed reveals, "but they kicked the new kid out when they switched to superheroes."
"Coon and Friends have tried to trick us before," Tupperware growls, "They could be using the new kid to keep us at bay."
"Well, what do we do," Wonder Tweek asks, "Can we trust him or not?" I can't help but feel ice begin to chill my heart to hear their hesitation to let me in, but I guess it's not without reason. I did switch sides in our last game.
[I believe I can reveal the truth to this predicament.]
(Huh? Who said that? That voice sounded like my conscious, or something in that sense.) I see a curtain with space themed images separate. A shadowy figure emerges with the sound of slightly squeaky wheels following it. I then remember that Toolshed mentioned Doctor Timothy when we were still at his house.
(The voice must've come from Timmy. … Wait, since when can Timmy talk in full sentences? And what's up with the gentleman tone of voice?) I hear the sound of a curtain being pulled to the side and, sure enough, a curtain with space themed images opens. I hear the sound of slightly squeaky wheels moving and I see a shadowy figure emerge from behind the curtain. As the figure comes into the light, I can definitely see that it's Timmy, wheelchair and all.
(Wow, Timmy is one sharp dressed man.) He's dressed in a navy-blue jacket covering a white dress shirt and red tie. He also has a red and black checkered blanked draped across his lap. He wheels himself to the center of the room and places his right index finger on his right temple.
[Hello my friend, it is good to see you.] I jump back in total shock.
(Woah, how did I hear that!? He didn't even move his lips!)
"Doctor Timothy is a Psychic," Toolshed whispers, "he has the ability to read minds and temporarily bend reality."
(Sweet mother of all that's holy! He can really do that?!)
[Please forgive us for our skepticism new kid. Our franchise war with Coon and Friends has us on edge.]
"Doc," Mysterion urges, "we don't mean to come off as bitter, but we can't be too careful when it comes to Cartman and anything related to him. I'm afraid this includes the new kid."
[I know Mysterion, but I believe the new kid deserves the benefit of doubt. After all, giving him a chance is what our creed stands for.]
"Of course, Doc," Mysterion sighs, "Retribution but with Inclusion."
(Retribution but with Inclusion? That's some motto.) Doctor Timothy suddenly moves closer to me.
[New kid, if you will permit me, I wish to see your actions from this morning to when you first arrived.]
(You want to read my mind?! … Well, if it will prove that I'm not with Cartman.) I slowly nod my head to let Timmy know he can go ahead. He gives me a gentle smile.
[You may feel a little woozy at first new kid, but let me know if it becomes too much for you.] Doctor Timothy squints and places his right index finger back on his right template. I suddenly feel a slight wave of dizziness take over me. I hold my head as I try to steady myself. Everything goes black for a few seconds. I can't hear anything. I suddenly see a collection of images appear, images I recognize.
[Welcome to your memories new kid.]
(Timmy?! … Wait, are we able to talk to each other in here?)
[Indeed … my dear.]
(My dear?! Why would you … you can hear my real voice, can't you?)
[Yes, every thought you make is heard in here. In your real voice.]
(…)
[New kid, why did you make us believe you were a boy?]
(… My parents. As long as I could remember, they forced me to identify as a boy. I don't really know why, but I always had this nagging feeling that my parents wish I was born a boy.) An image of when I was six appears in from of us. I'm standing outside my parent's bedroom, my ear pressed against the door. This was the third house we lived in that year. I hear the argument that made me feel like my parents wanted a boy.
"We're making her feel confused Chris," my mother screams.
"It's for her own good Kelly," my father yells back, "You know damn well why her pretending to be a boy is what's best for us!"
"Best for us, or best for you," my mother growls.
"You know what," my father snarls, "if she was just born a boy and not an emotional girl like you, we wouldn't have to live on the run!"
"And who's fault is that Chris," I hear my mother sneer. The memory stops and moves into the back ground with my other memories.
[My God, I never would have thought … I'm so sorry new kid.]
(My family issues are not your fault Doc. I am sorry I lied to you guys about my gender, but I've been doing this for years. … Can we get back to …)
[… Of course, my friend. Now please think back to this morning.] Images of this morning begin to play in front of us. I see everything from me sitting on my royal throne, my parents having their suddenly more common argument over my friendships, slaying the dragon, Cartman revealing the Scrambles poster, me being kicked out because my dad fucked my mom, and finally to when Toolshed freed me from Cartman's living room.
[I'm sorry I doubted you new kid. It would give me great honor to have you as the newest member of Freedom Pals.]
(You don't have to offer twice!)
[Excellent! It will be great to work with you again. We are starting to fall into turmoil.]
(Hey, I remember Tupperware mentioning that you need more missions and leads. Before Cartman kicked me out, I got a good look at the poster ha had. Here, take a look.) An image of Cartman holding the Scrambles poster approaches us. Timmy looks at the poster for a few seconds. He turns back to me with a grateful grin on his face.
[New kid, you're amazing. This could be the lead we have been looking for to track down the crime syndicate!]
(… Sally. My name is Sally.)
[Heh, well then Sally, I believe it's time I introduced our newest member to the team. And I believe you should know how we came to be the Freedom Pals. … Oh, and your secret is safe with me.] Some bright light envelopes my line of sight. When the light dies out from my eyelids, I slowly open my eyes. I see Timmy smile warmly at me.
[The new kid is not with Cartman. I am ready to allow him into Freedom Pals. I trust there are no objections?] I look around the room and I notice Mysterion, Tupperware, and Wonder Tweek exchanging glances. Toolshed is already beaming; he was ready for me to join for a while now. After a few seconds of silence, they all turn to me with approving smiles on their faces.
(Looks like I passed initiation.)